Fellow fans, my name is Paul (twitter.com/soapythedog). I'm a big Best Show fan; have been since early 2006. I've actually made my contribution to show, albeit infamously (I was nominated for worst call in, I think, 2007).

I've accepted a challenge to conduct some time-intensive fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The challenge runs from early March to mid-May, and is actually a competition to determine who can raise the most money in that limited amount of time. I have little interest in winning the competition. However, I feel a sense of responsibility to make good on my commitment to the cause and to the brave people I know dealing with blood cancer and its related perils, and want to do everything in my power to help out.

I'm hoping that I can find a way to combine my love for the Best Show with this important project. Ideas that immediately come to mind are a listening party, either at a bar or at someone's home, where there's some sort of required donation and a Best Show-related silent auction. Maybe a screening of Tom's take on Mr. Brooks. I don't know. If you are so inclined, let me know, in this thread, some other fundraising ideas you might have. In the off chance you are interested in getting involved, please let me know, as well.

Thanks very much for your consideration. Stay tuned to this space for details on ways you can help out.

Thanks all for reading this. Again, stay tuned to this space for updates and message me or respond in this thread if you want to help out or have any ideas. Hope to see some FOTs at the Ted Leo show on Feb. 20.

For those interested, I'm DJing at the Mandrake in Culver City tomorrow night - 9pm to midnight (it's a monthly gig). While I still hope to have a FOT event and, actually, an official event at the Mandrake, all donations made tomorrow night at the Mandrake or online (http://los.mwoy.llsevent.org/pbost) between 9pm-midnight will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

Further to the above, on April 28, I'm throwing a party/fundraiser at the Mandrake in Culver City on April 28. The soiree starts at 8:30 p.m. and goes late. A $25 donation gets you drink specials and entry into the "opportunity drawing" (for legal reasons we can't say raffle) with prizes generously donated by Matador Records, In the Red Records, Mexican Summer, Stones Throw Records, and Dylan Fareed (and others - we're still getting stuff together). Further opportunity drawing tickets can be purchased for $5. Come on out!!

Speaking or prizes, I don't want to hit up Kid Jersey for swag as I know he deals with a lot of requests, but any Scharpling & Wurster stuff I could give away would be great and hopefully convince some fans to make the trip. If anyone has any connections to score a potential raffle prize, please let me know via private message or otherwise.

Just received an incredibly generous donation of LPs and CDs and merch from In the Red Records featuring lots of artists played on the Best Show, including the Dirtbombs, Strange Boys, Thee Oh Sees (including a copy of the yet to be released Castlemania record), Reigning Sound, etc . . . All of this stuff will be given away at the fundraiser.